So I was just informed this evening that the schedule changed and I am "possibly" drafted for this saturday, and it was changed "just in case", but the manger will know friday morning for sure. I cant remember what policy actually states...how far in advance do they have to have it posted on the schedule? Am i wrong in thinking that leaving me hangin in the wind until friday "just in case" seems to be a bit ridiculous?
policy hounds..gotta question.
- Thread starter jmeti000
- Start date
DRAisawesome
Well-Known Member
welcome to fedex. operational needs.
MrFedEx
Engorged Member
I would also say "operational necessity". They don't care if your weekend plans are on-hold or have to be cancelled. You are Fred's biotch, as are the rest of us.
hypo hanna
Well-Known Member
It's a way of having you on standby without paying you for standby. Who do you think you are, a pilot?
MrFedEx
Engorged Member
Great point. You should be getting standby pay because your plans are on hold. Think UPS management could get away with this? No way.
Your manager is probably waiting for an opportunity to delete your guarantee pay if you turn down work Saturday- assuming your under 35 hrs., or to otherwise get you in on Saturday and pay straight time. It's amazing the efforts (lies) thet'll go through to hose an hourlie.
Ricochet1a
Well-Known Member
It is a bit late at this stage (since you'll know if you're working tomorrow by the time you read this)...
If the draft procedure was used - starting at the lowest seniority full-time Courier and working their way up - then there isn't a damn thing you can do about it. Express 'owns' the full-time employees, ESPECIALLY the low seniority full-timers.
The issue with drafting is in HOW Express does the 'rotation' and what they consider the 'unit of time' until the rotation starts from the bottom again (I've never got a straight answer to this question from any manager, HR or even reading PEOPLE when I was in).
From my understanding, the draft starts at the bottom of full-time seniority and works it way up to the top, with the seniority draft resetting at the beginning of each month (this has been disputed). So in a month period of time, a low seniority person can only be drafted ONCE, as long as there are other full-time employees who have yet to be drafted for the month. Once the entire full-time workgroup has been subjected to a draft, then the rotation starts at the bottom again (or starts utilizing part-timers). In order for a part-time employee to be drafted, EVERY full-time employee either must have been drafted for the period of time (month), OR every single full-time employee MUST already be working a full schedule for the week in question during which a shift is filled by draft procedures. This is how Express manages to draft part-timers during peak (more often than not against their wishes).
I've had this disputed by senior managers and HR.
Their version, is that the draft is merely a 'rotation'. The rotation starts at the bottom - and it proceeds to the top, then the rotation starts again. According to 'them', there is no 'reset' of the rotation. This would result in a 'round robin' form of draft - which doesn't give ANYONE any protection from being drafted. This is a bunch of bull. I fought this concept tooth and nail when I was in (to prevent from being drafted as a part-time employee, I had just enough seniority when I was in to protect me from the occasional draft that came up in a month's period of time). The monthly 'reset' protected me from being drafted. I managed to NOT be drafted for anything other than the week right before Christmas.
If there wasn't a 'reset' (presumably monthly), then EVERYONE would eventually be drafted - which ISN'T the intention of the draft procedures. The intention of the draft procedures is to hit the low seniority employees with drafting first, but to give some 'protection' to the higher seniority employees as long as the draft needs aren't too severe.
If only a couple of shift drafts are needed in a month period of time, then the low seniority people get them. In the round robin version that has been tossed out by senior managers and HR that I know, seniority means crap, since in a round robin, you start at one point, then continue around until one gets back to the original starter.
Your manager is probably waiting for an opportunity to delete your guarantee pay if you turn down work Saturday- assuming your under 35 hrs., or to otherwise get you in on Saturday and pay straight time. It's amazing the efforts (lies) thet'll go through to hose an hourlie.
No worries there, I regularly get 45hrs in a 5 day week. As for what happened, turns out the other employee is working, so Im not drafted anymore (go figure).
MrFedEx
Engorged Member
Prepare for incoming (vantexan attack).
Hey, thanks for all the warnings I got when he was talking about "our hero".
MrFedEx
Engorged Member
Believe it or not, we have a common enemy...and it isn't us.
"I have met the enemy, and he is us".
Every last person in this company, from top to bottom, who doesn't do his best every day no matter what they do to us is the enemy. We have an obligation to do right by them since they are paying our way. It's why I've been openly critical of their policies and haven't suffered retribution because I back it up with hard work. When I leave FedEx I may leave holding my nose over what they've done, but I'll be proud of what I've done over the years. And until I leave I'll be volunteering for Saturdays, for holidays, anything needed. I detest what they've done to rob me of my future, but I've detested for much longer working with people who've openly hated me for being willing to work. But the light is shining bright from the end of the tunnel, so soon I'll have better things to do.
Maui
Well-Known Member
With all due respect, everyone SHOULD eventually be drafted. For the policy to be applied fairly and evenly all persons should be included in the draft (or rotation) list. I've been at 3 locations and know people from other nearby locations. I was at a location with the lowest seniority at 7-8 years and the other stations nearby had similar seniority. It would be unfair for that person to work to be drafted every month.
At the large location I worked there were always enough volunteers that no one was ever drafted. At a medium sized location you could go an entire year year without being drafted outside Christmas. I fundamentally disagree with your assessment of the intention of the draft. It goes hand in hand with the volunteer list. The same people always working and getting extra hours is the flip side of this coin. The actual intention IMO is to provide legal protection for hours distribution. It is not a problem if everyone gets a chance for the extra hours, but the same people are the only ones signing up. Conversely, the ONLY fair way is to go the entire list of employees for a draft. It should be posted so that it is well known if you are next and there is generally at least a week's notice.
Of course some unscrupulous managers might pull operational needs and route knowledge to deny or force hours. I think that is a slippery slope and could lead to lawsuits.
Swings and PT were always excluded from the draft list. Swings covered open shifts and would work Saturday if the route did. PT can NOT be forced to work on scheduled days off.
whenIgetthere
Well-Known Member
At my station, the draft list is posted in the check-in room, and it doesn't renew monthly. It only restarts if the entire list has been drafted, but no one, top or bottom, gets out of the draft. I feel this is the only fair way to do it. One thing management does right here.
Ricochet1a
Well-Known Member
Wrong...
Seniority should account for something. "Drafting' is the filling of required shifts when there are NO volunteers. If the low person on the totem pole gets hit once a month with a draft - that is fine. With increasing seniority, comes a reduction in the potential liability for being drafted. Express' 'draft' isn't a draft at all, it is a misapplied 'round robin' method of assigning shifts. What happens when management 'forgets' who was last drafted? Happened all the time when I was in. I wasn't going to be management's bitch - and they left me alone.
Being low person on the totem pole sucks... Seniority in a blue collar environment should account for something.
Wrong yet again. The volunteer list is for those who WANT extra hours. Volunteering is completely separate from being drafted. You are speaking from a management perspective, seeming to link volunteering and drafting as being essentially the same...
And what is the methodology used for 'resetting' the volunteer list? Does Express do a 'round robin' (everyone gets an extra shift before anyone gets 2), or does Express do a reset within a period of time????
The draft procedure IS to prevent litigation directed at Express - however... the written policy and actual practice vary widely.
You are making the mistaken assumption that people don't mind working extra hours. I wasn't paid enough for what I did when I was at Express. I didn't work one extra minute that I didn't have to. Those who sign up for extra hours need the money - many (most of the part-timers) want NO PART in working outside their regularly scheduled shift.
UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)
Well-Known Member
Wouldn't you rather get drafted by the New England Patriots (UPS) than the Cleveland Browns (FedEx)?
Ricochet1a
Well-Known Member
The heroic twit is consigned to live the life he has constructed for himself. For anyone else, it would constitute 'cruel and unusual punishment'. He's in a 'punishment zone' of his own creation (he just doesn't view it as such).
He faults capitalism (don't get into 401k, you're 'feeding the system that is oppressing you'), then turns around and equates potential organizing by the individuals who are being 'oppressed by the system', as being something Unholy and unseemly.
So participating in a capitalist system (401k contributions) is 'playing the man's game', while organizing to fight the man is Unholy...
So what in the hell is the heroic twit to do??? He can't be a capitalist (violates his personal ethic), and he can't do something 'socialistic' (again, violates his personal ethic)....
The twit plans to run away to save his soul from the scourge of a 'no win' situation (capitalists versus socialists).
Thus the never ending alternating between sympathizing with his captors (employees CAN'T organize, they'll be sorry if they did), then screaming at the top of his lungs that he is being screwed by the capitalists.
See, in his universe, if he was just topped out like he should be for all the great work he has done for Fred, then all would be well in the universe and the rest of you could go screw yourselves. It still comes down to the basic premise that he DOESN'T see himself as being with the 'rest of you', he is exceptional. He has worked exceptionally well (upholding his personal ethic), but has been unjustly punished by the capitalistic system for his own personal mistakes in life. He isn't to blame for his personal situation, the SYSTEM is to blame... (makes looking in the mirror each morning a bit easier).
Again, another one of his self contradictory stances... Conservatives are supposed to accept PERSONAL responsibility for their actions and their life's direction. However, our twit accepts no real responsibility for his personal situation - it is due to someone else's fault whose personal ethic is.... well, unethical. Therefore, he's held blameless for his situation....
However, should he accept a more 'socialistic' ethic, then he couldn't justify what he has for self esteem (he's an exceptional 'hard worker') - since he would have to accept that he is essentially powerless in a capitalist system and would have to band together with his compatriots in order to have a decent and equitable lifestyle.
What our twit cannot fathom is that balance is achieved by a DUALISTIC approach. Capitalism is essentially the best economic system there is - as long as it is properly regulated and has balancing mechanisms in place to protect those who would otherwise be powerless. Let the capitalists make money, AS LONG AS everyone else can participate in the system (open reporting of financial statements - enabling the population to INVEST what they have) - invest in 401k for example.
Then have a system in which those who provide labor to make the capitalist system function, can collectively bargain for compensation which would be HIGHER that the free market would otherwise provide (compete against the employers business plan, NOT against the unemployed).
Capitalists will NEVER be 'Christ-like', earning a profit has an inherent selfishness to it. Socialists will NEVER grow an economy, they are too concerned with making sure everyone gets a fair cut of the pie (while the pie in a socialists economy continuously shrinks).
The life lesson that the twit has completely failed to master, is that it is alright to be selfish, as long as those who are potentially affected by one's selfishness have a method of imposing a consequence on those who are exceptionally selfish.
It is alright that Fred and company are selfish.... AS LONG AS those who work to enrich him have a method of imposing a consequence upon him as a consequence. The method exists, however, those who work for Fred have failed to avail themselves of this form of 'self-help' to remedy the situation. Our twit seems to think that Fred should change his behavior without pressure from others.... such is not human nature.
If everyone in the world would only act on our twit's personal ethic, the world would be a better place.... (I cringe at the thought....)
You would cringe at the thought of hard work. Read your Bible and you'll find that investing, for the right reasons, is advocated. And I've never said that organizing is unholy. Far from it. What I've said is you use lies, deceit, and exaggeration to goad people into screwing themselves. Therefore you are not to be trusted. Furthermore you are a lily livered prig who hides behind a keyboard, talking big but you never had the backbone to stay and fight. And you don't know the meaning of a decent lifestyle because your ethic is based on screwing others to achieve wealth. Thus you are no better than those you and MFE refer to as the "oppressors". You don't know the meaning of the word. I don't like being lied to and manipulated but I'm hardly oppressed. And yes, participating in the 401k system is at the very heart of what's wrong with modern capitalism. You and MFE go on and on about how horrible Fred and Fed are but participate in the 401k even though Fred and Fed are doing exactly what that system wants to increase profits that are spread as dividends in substantial amounts to major stockholders who drive up the price of the stock buying it to get at said dividends. Little fish like you exploit that to your own ends, all the while screaming at Fred and Fed for doing the very thing that makes you wealthier. Meanwhile we peons can only marvel at the greed as we aren't in a position to benefit in a substantial manner. So who truly is conflicted here? Sounds to me like you are, fighting for the little guy while screwing him at the same time with your greed. And you're a jackass to boot. You like to impose assumptions on others to make your case but your case unravels because you assume incorrectly. And have from the get go. Finally I'd love to see a union at FedEx but I'm honest enough to admit under current conditions it won't happen. You however instill false hope on the faithful here because it feeds your voracious ego. You don't benefit anyone but yourself so it's time that method of imposing a consequence be turned on you. Sadly others here will take your side because you feed them what they want to hear. You're fighting the Man! You're just another grandstanding egomaniacal bullschitter in my book.
